A Helping Hand
by BubbaGumpShrimp
Summary: More Captain Swan/ Daddy!Killian fluff because there can never be too much of this in the world. Killian is feeling a bit inadequate facing his next life challenge.


_**A Helping Hand**_

Walking through the front door groceries in hand, it was a relief to see the TV quiet and the lights off. After a long day in the station dealing with disorderly dwarves, she could use some peace. Then again, it seemed a little _too _quiet.

"Killian?" she called out, setting the bags on the kitchen counter.

Bathroom lights were off. She checked the bedroom and found nothing. _Was tonight poker night with David? _She couldn't remember. _Baby brain_, she sighed. The mood swings, aching feet, sore back she could handle, but nothing was more frustrating to her than her less-than sharp thinking. She even suspected Henry has been taking advantage of that lately… _Did I really give him his allowance twice this week? _

Knowing it was useless, she peaked her head into the last remaining room anyway, surprised to find her pirate sitting quietly in the corner rocking chair.

"Hook, don't you think it's a little too soon for you to be guarding this room?" Emma said jokingly as she entered the nursery.

When he didn't respond, she knew time for joking was gone.

"Killian, what's going on?" she asked as she approached her husband.

"Just…. Just thinking, " He murmured, not meeting her eyes.

Concerned, Emma took a seat on the footrest in front of him and grabbed his hand. "About what?" She asked, "Is everything OK?"

"It's just…this, _this_, is happening," he responding, gesturing to her swollen belly.

"Yeah…. I assumed you were aware of that. You were there, after all…" she said, a little confused.

"Swan. I don't know if I can do this."

"What…what, do you mean by that?" She felt her heart stop for a moment, thinking that he was unhappy about this; that he didn't want _them._

Knowing by the look in her eyes that she misinterpreted his words, he squeezed her hand and quickly responded, "No! Not that. Of course I want her. I've never been more happy about anything than becoming a father." He stopped to gesture at his left arm, where his brace-less stump was exposed, much like his heart at the moment. "I just don't know if I can _do_ this."

In the years she's known him, Emma has never once considered his lack of appendage a handicap. He was more than capable in accomplishing any task, and in most cases, better than most. Killian had a knack at making even the most complex chore look effortless (much to her annoyance at times), which she contributed to centuries of learning to adapt. Never once did she consider he would fail at this upcoming challenge.

"Of course you can, babe," she said, and as to prove her point, she grabbed both his right arm and left stump and wrapped them around her stomach. "You are so good with James. Why will she be any different?" she asked, referring to her baby brother.

"Sure, for moments at a time, but I've never had to change him or bathe him or do anything remotely complicated that would require two hands!" He was getting frustrated, and she was afraid he was almost past the point of consoling.

"Killian, look at me. You are going to be a great father. And you will not be alone. Keep in mind, I don't have any experience dealing with a baby either," she sighed, and in that comment, let her own fears be known. "We can figure this out together. And besides, anything I can do, you have almost always proven to do better, " she said, giving her husband a small grin. He knew she hated to admit that, but he appreciated the gesture.

Bringing her forward in a hug of acceptance, neither one of them noticed the warmth of magic spreading between them, the glow of light behind Emma's back.

"What the hell—Swan, what'd you do?!" Killian exclaimed, shocked as he brought both of his hands forward to show his wife.

"Oh my god…I didn't…I didn't do anything, I swear," Emma responded, equally as shocked by this revelation, taking his right and left hand within her own.

Both of them looked at her stomach. It was Emma who finally asked the question they already knew the answer to, "If I didn't do this, who did?"


End file.
